Department for Transport

Department for Transport: UK Membership of EU

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many officials in his Department are engaged in research into the effects of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The　Government　is focused　on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis.　Departments are appropriately resourced to support the Government’s priorities in Europe.

Heathrow Airport: Air Traffic

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has received on aircraft not adhering to the Compton easterly departure route from Heathrow; and what plans he plans to address (a) that issue and (b) noise pollution arising from such non-adherence.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department receives regular correspondence from the public on Heathrow noise matters and this has included occasional representations on questions about the Compton routes.   The Government are aware that some aircraft are unable to follow accurately the long established easterly Compton Noise Preferential Route at Heathrow. It is expected that as part of the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Future Airspace Strategy, existing departure routes at Heathrow will need to be reviewed and updated so that aircraft can use more accurate satellite-based navigation. Any such proposal will be subject to the CAA’s airspace change process which includes consultation requirements.

Gospel Oak-Barking Railway Line: Electrification

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what stage of the guide to railway investment projects process has the Barking to Gospel Oak electrification project reached; and whether a date has been agreed with stakeholders for reaching stage seven.

Claire Perry: The core scheme of Gospel Oak to Barking electrification has now completed GRIP 3. Network Rail is working with stakeholders to deliver completion of works (GRIP 7) by June 2017 for this section. GRIP 3 work on the electrification of the linking lines from the core scheme to the docks and to the other London electrified lines is underway but has yet to complete.

Regional Airports

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July to Question 6770, what estimate he has made of the cost of a new link road; and from what sources funding for that link road will be provided.

Andrew Jones: We have not estimated the cost of constructing a link road to Leeds Bradford International Airport as this would be a local road and the relevant local authority would be responsible for developing a scheme proposal. The Government sponsored study into improving connectivity to Leeds Bradford International Airport used an estimate provided by Leeds City Council of £38m in 2012 prices.   The Aviation Policy Framework published in March 2013 makes clear that developers should pay the costs of upgrading transport links where there is a need to cope with increased passenger numbers, but that a public funding contribution will be considered if the scheme has a wider range of beneficiaries. The relevant local authorities would therefore be responsible for assembling a funding package for a link road, in partnership with developers and other local stakeholders. Local Growth Funding could be used to provide a public sector contribution, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority is being provided with a contribution of up to £781m towards the West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund between 2015/15 and 2034/35. The Fund has been set up to deliver transport improvements across West Yorkshire and York.

Rail Value for Money Review

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department and Network Rail have made on meeting the rail industry efficiency targets of the McNulty Report.

Claire Perry: Between 2004-14 Network Rail achieved a cumulative improvement in efficiency of around 35-40% on operating, maintaining and renewing its network, as shown in Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) Efficiency and Financial Assessments published for Control Periods 3 and 4.　 The ORR set Network Rail a challenging target of making efficiencies on top of those already achieved of 19.4% for the period 2014-19 (Control Period 5). The evidence base for this target included the McNulty Report as well as a significant amount of top-down benchmarking, bottom-up analysis and studies.   On train services, this Government is focused on maximising value for money for taxpayers and rail users. Since the relaunch of the franchising programme in 2013, each franchise has been subject to a detailed process of scrutiny, ensuring both that the benefits for taxpayers are realised and that the process maximises efficiencies. The success of the process in securing efficiencies of the type envisaged by McNulty is demonstrated by every successful bid achieving a better price than was originally envisaged by the Department, with consequential considerable benefits for the taxpayer.

Network Rail

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether officials in his Department have attended any meetings of Network Rail's (a) Major Projects Delivery sub-committee, (b) Critical Infrastructure sub-committee and (c) Business Plan sub-committee since 22 January 2015.

Claire Perry: No Department for Transport officials have attended any meetings of Network Rail's Major Projects Delivery sub-committee, Critical Infrastructure sub-committee or Business Plan sub-committee since 22 January 2015. However, officials from the Shareholder Executive attended eleven meetings of the Major Projects Delivery Committee in that time to observe, in order improve mutual understanding between Network Rail and the Government.

Railways: Fares

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what financial support his Department is making available to Transport for London for the purposes of meeting the cost of keeping the increase in the price of London rail fares at the Retail Prices Index in 2016.

Claire Perry: This will be considered as part of the wider spending review process that is currently underway.

Network Rail

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2015 to Question 9153, whether he received advice from officials in his Department on the potential deferral of Network Rail projects prior to 15 June 2015.

Claire Perry: As the Secretary of State told the Transport Select Committee in July 2015, he received advice in September 2014 that there was a cost overrun of some £2 billion for Network Rail enhancement projects. This advice identified measures to bring costs back down. It did not advise pausing Midland Main Line electrification or Transpennine electrification. 15th June 2015 was the first day on which that the Secretary of State received advice that these two projects should be paused.

Rolling Stock: Standards

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2015 to Question 9152, and with reference to page 214 of his Department's Great Western Franchise Agreement of 22 March 2015, what advice he received from the Rail Safety and Standards Board and the Office of Rail and Road prior to his decision to include in that Agreement a requirement for the Great Western franchisee to develop proposals for main line trial deployment of converted Class 230 trains taking into account the applicability and safety implications of the deviations granted to D78 London Underground rolling stock in 2002 for (a) non-fitment of train protection and warning system in-cab equipment and (b) non-compliance with railway group standards structural requirements for windscreens and windows.

Claire Perry: The Secretary of State has not decided to require the Great Western franchisee to develop proposals for main line train deployment of converted Class 230 trains.　 The obligation in the new First Great Western franchise agreement is for the Franchisee to submit an initial feasibility study.　 The franchise agreement makes clear that any proposals for a trial that might derive from that report would be subject to a separate decision by the Secretary of State and would be subject to initial examination confirming likely viability.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Refugees: Syria

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to provide additional funding to local authorities to assist them to provide support to Syrian refugees.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the capacity of local authorities to provide support for refugees from Syria.

Mr Mark Francois: My rt. hon. Friends, the Home Secretary (Theresa May) and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Greg Clark), are leading a Joint Committee to expand the existing Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme to resettle up to 20,000 Syrians in need of protection during this Parliament. We will work with the local government sector, devolved administrations, the voluntary and community sector, faith communities and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to put in place the necessary arrangements. My rt. hon. Friend, the Home Secretary provided an update to the House today.

Communities and Local Government: Carbon Emissions

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department spent on carbon offsetting in each of the last three years; and to which companies payments in respect of carbon offsetting were made in each such year.

Mr Mark Francois: The Department for Communities and Local Government spent the following amounts on carbon offsetting in each of the last three years, and with the following companies: YearAmountCompany2012-13£464RWE Supply and Trading Switzerland SA2013-14£29EDF Trading Ltd.2014-15£835South Pole Carbon Asset Management The Department undertakes its carbon offsetting by purchasing Certified Emissions Reduction credits through the Government Carbon Offsetting Facility.

Department for Communities and Local Government: Freedom of Information

Kirsty Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many hours his Department spent on processing freedom of information requests in each of the last 24 months.

Mr Mark Francois: The Department does not record this information.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: UK Membership of EU

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which external organisations officials in his Department have met to discuss the consequences of the UK leaving the EU in each of the last three years; and how many meetings such officials have had with each such organisation.

Mr David Lidington: The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis. Officials regularly meet with a range of external organisations to discuss the Government's objectives in Europe.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: UK Membership of EU

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many officials in his Department are engaged in research into the effects of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr David Lidington: The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis. Departments are appropriately resourced to support the Government's priorities in Europe.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: UK Membership of EU

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which external organisations he has met to discuss the consequences of the UK leaving the EU in each of the last three years; and how many times he has met each such organisation.

Mr David Lidington: The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) regularly meets with a range of external organisations to discuss the Government's objectives in Europe. Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministers-transparency-publications.

British Nationals Abroad: Police Custody

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many British nationals have died in police custody in other countries in each of the last five years.

Grant Shapps: Our current method of recording deaths in custody does not separate those who died in police custody from the overall figure of those who died in custody. Prior to May 2012 we have no statistics on death in custody of British nationals overseas. From May to December 2012 we are aware of two British nationals who died in custody overseas. In 2013 we are aware of ten cases and in 2014 of eleven. This year, up until 31 August, we have been made aware of four cases. To break down the location of death in custody for figures prior to May 2012 would require detailed searches of all detainee records, which would be of disproportionate cost.

Africa: Wildlife

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with his counterparts in (a) Kenya, (b) Uganda, (c) South Africa, (d) Namibia and (e) other countries in Africa on measures to stop the killing of elephants and rhinos.

Grant Shapps: The FCO works very closely with DEFRA to combat the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) and eradicate the poaching of elephants, rhinos, and other animals, reflecting HMG’s global leadership on this issue. Our Posts across Africa, are very active on this. Our Ambassadors and High Commissioners regularly raise the issue of IWT at the highest level, and FCO Ministers raise IWT with their counterparts wherever possible, including at multilateral fora. I recently wrote to the Zimbabwean Minister for Environment, Water, and Climate to advance our working together on this issue. The FCO secured attendance of Ministers from Kenya, Uganda, Namibia and 15 other African countries at the London Conference on IWT in February 2014. We also gained the participation of Ministers from these countries, plus South Africa and 12 other African countries, to attend the UK supported follow-up conference in Kasane, northern Botswana, on 25 March 2015 for further discussions. These initiatives have resulted in collective conference declarations with 40 ambitious commitments, to eradicate IWT through demand reduction, strengthening law enforcement and legal deterrents, and protecting sustainable livelihoods.

Refugees: EU Action

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received from the President of the European Commission on the proposed expansion of the European Resettlement Scheme for refugees.

Mr David Lidington: At a meeting of the informal Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council on 9 July Member States agreed to resettle over 22,500 people, taking account of priority regions for resettlement including North Africa, the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, focusing in particular on the countries where Regional Development and Protection Programmes are implemented. The UK made it clear that it would not be participating in an EU resettlement scheme as we already operate successful national schemes. At the extraordinary JHA Council on 14 September, the Home Secretary made clear the Government's view that resettlement from the region is an essential part of the response to the situation in Syria. All UK resettlement activity will continue to be delivered under existing national programmes, including the expanded Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme under which we expect to resettle up to 20,000 Syrians in need of protection during this Parliament.

Turkey: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Turkish counterpart on the political unrest in that country.

Mr David Lidington: Turkey is a NATO ally and a valued partner for the UK. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials have regular discussions with Turkish counterparts covering a wide range of issues. On 14 August 2015, I met Volkan Bozkır, the then Turkish Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator. We discussed the political and security situation in Turkey and the region.

Syria: Russia

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Russian counterpart on that country's escalating military intervention in Syria.

Mr David Lidington: We are aware of reports that Russia may have deployed military personnel and aircraft to Syria, and we are monitoring those reports closely. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed Syria with Foreign Minister Lavrov in June and discussions continue at official level.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what action the Government is taking to secure free and fair access for humanitarian aid to Yemen via Port Hodiedah.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK has lobbied the Saudi Arabian -led Coalition and the Yemeni Government on the importance of non-politicisation of aid, as well as the need to improve access for commercial goods and humanitarian aid, including via Hodeidah Port. The UK is supporting the UN, working with the Coalition and Yemeni Government, to make the system for verifying shipping more efficient. It is critical that Hodeidah and the other Red Sea ports be accessible for commercial and humanitarian ships. If ports do not reopen the risk of famine in Yemen will increase further. Food and medicines are needed in the north, as is fuel to transport goods, power hospitals, pump water and provide for ordinary Yemeni’s energy needs.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that Sudan begins a credible and inclusive peace process.

Grant Shapps: We continue to call on the Government of Sudan to deliver on the commitment to hold a comprehensive national dialogue and bring an end to the devastating conflicts in Sudan. We welcome the recent decision by the African Union (AU) to renew the mandate of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel to facilitate negotiations and call on the Government of Sudan to engage in these negotiations fully.

Libya: IRA

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will meet UK victims of IRA/Libyan-sponsored violence; and if he will make a statement.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Prime Minister will reverse the decision made by his predecessors not to seek compensation for all UK victims of IRA/Libyan-sponsored violence; and if he will make a statement.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will establish an independent inquiry into the reasons why the Government has not sought compensation for UK victims of IRA/Libyan-sponsored terrorism; and if he will make a statement.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what criteria the Government applies to determine whether or not to seek compensation for UK victims of IRA/Libyan-sponsored violence; and if he will make a statement.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions he has raised with representatives of the Libyan government compensation for UK victims of IRA/Libyan-sponsored violence since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Government is not able to negotiate with the Libyan Government on individual compensation claims as these are not government claims. Individual compensation claims against Libya are best pursued directly with the Libyan Government. The Government has raised legacy issues arising from the actions of the Qadhafi regime repeatedly and at the highest levels with the Libyan authorities. Following a breakdown of the political and security situation in Libya, we withdrew our staff from our Embassy in Tripoli in August 2014. There is currently no central authority to deal with on this issue. We will engage a Government of National Accord (GNA), once established, on the issue of compensation. The British Government’s objective is broad and lasting reconciliation between Libya and UK communities affected by the Qadhafi regime’s sponsorship of terrorism. The Government has provided facilitation support to victims, their families, legal representatives and campaign groups, where it has been requested and appropriate. We will again encourage the Libyans to engage with UK victims seeking redress, including those seeking compensation and their legal representatives, once stability returns.

Overseas Companies: Malawi

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure British companies and investors in Malawi respect human rights in that country.

Grant Shapps: UK Trade and Investment has a duty to British businesses to provide them with all of the advice and information they need to succeed in foreign markets. Human rights guidance is a core part of that. The UK National Action Plan for implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, entitled "Good Business", sets out what the Government will do and what it expects of business in respecting human rights throughout their operations.The Government is working with the Government of Malawi and British companies to encourage greater bilateral trade and investment. In their meetings with British companies in Malawi, officials at the British High Commission in Lilongwe have raised the importance of human rights and corporate responsibility.

Malawi: Human Rights

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights by the government of Malawi.

Grant Shapps: The Government welcomes the creation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. In September 2013 the Government published an National Action Plan entitled “Good Business” setting out how we would implement the UN Guiding Principles and what action we would take to support the principles internationally including by encouraging other states to follow the principles and to publish their own national action plans where possible. The Government has provided financial support to the UN Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises in their role to promote uptake of the Guiding Principles and develop guidance and best practice world-wide including for use in Malawi.

Burma: Armed Conflict

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he holds on whether Burmese army soldiers who have received training from the UK Government are serving in conflicts in (a) Kachin and Shan states or (b) Kokang areas.

Mr Hugo Swire: As we have previously stated we do not provide combat training to the Burmese Army.

Burma: Crimes against Humanity

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implication for his policies of the Harvard Law School report entitled War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity in Eastern Myanmar published in November 2014; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire: I refer the hon. member to my answer of 3 December 2014 (PQ 216319).

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Living Wage: Young People

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for what reasons the new Living Wage does not apply to those under 25.

Nick Boles: The new National Living Wage (NLW) is an essential part of moving to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society; it ensures that work pays, and reduces reliance on the State topping up wages through the benefits system. For younger workers, the priority is to secure work and gain experience - something that is already reflected in the National Minimum Wage (NMW) rate structure where the youth rate is currently £1.40 lower than the adult rate. Just as the Low Pay Commission will recommend the pace of increase for the NLW, they will continue to recommend the NMW rates for all workers under 25 at a level that maximises their earnings without damaging employment prospects by setting it too high.

Medicine: Education

Dr Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the change in the number of people applying to study medicine in 2014 relative to previous years; and if his Department will assess what effect (a) increases in tuition fees and (b) fear of increased debt may have on such applications.

Joseph Johnson: Information published by UCAS on the numbers of applications since 2009 is shown in the table. UCAS have not yet published comparable figures for 2015.Medicine remains a very popular course that attracts many prospective students. There are no upfront fees and a progressive, income-contingent loan available for those applying for degrees. Applications from UK domiciled applicants1 to pre-clinical medicine Year of entry 200920102011201220132014Applications56,05562,85565,27063,12064,00064,345Source: UCAS. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5.1. Each applicant can submit up to four applications for pre-clinical medicine. UCAS have not released figures showing the number of applicants who have made one or more applications to pre-clinical medicine.

Technology

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2015 to Question 5250, which projects and programmes that have been funded from the public purse since 2010 relate to each of the Eight Great Technologies.

Joseph Johnson: The Government identified “8 Great Technologies” in autumn 2012 to highlight key emerging technologies for the UK and increased investment by £600 million to accelerate their application and commercialisation.   The table provides a non-exclusive list of projects and programmes funded by BIS through Research Councils and InnovateUK relating to the “8 Great Technologies” from the time of publication to January 2015.   We do not routinely keep records classifying all publically-funded projects and programmes since 2010 according to the 8 Great Technologies, and it would only be possible to provide this information at a disproportionate cost.   Big Data: ProgrammeAreaAHRCDigital transformations in community researchBBSRCBioinformatics and biological resources fundBBSRCBig Data Infrastructure projectsBBSRCInstitutes coordination grantsBBSRCOpen Microscopy Environment (with Wellcome trust)BBSRCDNA Synthesis 2 capital investmentEPSRCCapacity increase at Research Data Facility in EdinburghESRCAdministrative Data Research NetworkMRCUK Health Informatics Research InstituteMRCCapability development to better understand health and diseaseMRCSupport to 100,000 Genomes projectNERCBig Data Capital awardsNERCCapability increase in JASMIN National Data Community facilityNERCEnvironmental Research WorkbenchSTFCEnergy Efficiency ComputingSTFCSquare Kilometre Array computing platformIUKDigital Economy CatapultIUKOpen Data InsituteIUK, SDTL & Research CouncilsData Exploration Programme Satellites and Commercial Applications of Space: ProgrammeAreaSTFC campusesSpace science cluster capacity buildingUKSANational Space Technology ProgrammeIUKSatellite Applications CatapultIUKSpace applications Robotics and Autonomous Systems: ProgrammeAreaEPSRCCentres of ExcellenceEPSRCCentres for Doctoral TrainingEPSRCOxford Mobile Robotics GrantSBRI & IUKIntelligent Autonomy in the automotive sectorNERC, IUK & DSTLCapability building in marine autonomous and robotics systemsIUK & EPSRCNovel demonstration and commercialisation concepts in robotics Synthetic Biology: ProgrammeAreaBBSRC, EPSRC & MRCMultidisciplinary Synthetic Biology Research CentresBBSRCSeed FundingBBSRCResearch into DNA SynthesisBBSRCTraining at Centre for Doctoral TrainingIUKNational Biologics Manufacturing CentreIUKSynbio Innovation and Knowledge Cetnre and projects Regenerative Medicine ProgrammeAreaMRC, BBRC & EPSRCUK regenerative Medicine PlatformIUKCell Therapy Catapult   Agri-Science ProgrammeAreaBBSRCInnovation Incubator space at EdinburghBBSRCInnovation and diffusion Campus for food and renewable energy at AberystwythBBSRCConference centre and shared resources hubBBSRCMolecular farming facility at Norwich Research ParkBBSRC, DfID & ISAgri-tech CatalystISInnovation Centres Advanced Materials: ProgrammeAreaEPSRCResearch projectsEPSRCAdvanced Materials for healthcareSPSRC & DECCIrradiated materials investment in National Nuclear User FacilitySTFCAdvanced materials beamline at DiamondIUKNational Composites CentreEPSRCResearch programmes incorporating functional materialsEPSRC, STFC & IUKSir Hendry Royce Institute for advanced materials Energy Storage: ProgrammeAreaEPSRCGrid-scale efficient energy storageEPSRC, IUK & DECCEnergy Catalyst FundEPSRCNovel solutions for energy storageIUKIntegrated Energy Challenge

Higher Education Funding Council for England

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what funds the HEFCE has allocated to (a) the Equality Challenge Unit and (b) the Athena SWAN programme in (i) 2014-15 and (ii) future financial years; and what effect his Department's announcement on 4 June 2015 has had on those programmes.

Joseph Johnson: In the 2014-15 academic year, Higher Educatiuon Funding Council for England provided £1m to the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU), and in the 2015-16 academic year HEFCE will provide £671k.   Prior to the June announcement, HEFCE had taken the decision to cease core funding of the ECU from 2016-17. The funding allocations to ECU were not affected by the 4June announcements.   The ECU will continue with a subscriber-based funding model for Higher Education Institutions in England. HEFCE does not directly fund the Athena SWAN Charter.

Met Office: Secondment

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many Met Office staff are on secondment to (a) Government and (b) other publicly-funded departments, agencies and bodies.

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many Met Office staff are on secondment to the armed forces.

Joseph Johnson: At present there are 4 Met Office staff on secondment to Government departments and agencies and 10 seconded to other publicly-funded bodies.   No Met Office staff are on secondment to the armed forces. At present 52 staff are members of the Mobile Met Unit, a sponsored RAF reserve unit of meteorological specialists. There are 192 Met Office staff based at military sites in the UK and overseas.

Met Office: Secondment

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many staff secondments (a) to and (b) from (i) universities, (ii) research institutes and (iii) research centres the Met Office has in place; and how many such secondments took place in each year since 2010.

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which collaborations with (a) universities, (b) research institutes and (c) research centres the Met Office is engaged in; when each such secondment is due to expire; and how many such collaborations have been discontinued since 2010.

Joseph Johnson: The Met Office collaborates with a number of universities and research organisations in the UK and overseas to advance the science and skills in meteorology, climate science and related subjects. This involves the placement of scientists between the Met Office and these bodies. Visits can be for short or longer periods of time, but are not generally recorded as formal secondments. During 2014-15, 149 scientists were recorded as visiting the Met Office for collaborative purposes. Extensive collaboration also takes place in the writing of scientific papers.   Met Office records of current and previous formal secondments to universities and research organisations are shown in the table below. It has no record of inward secondments from these organisations in the last 5 years.   YearSecondments2010-1102011-1202012-1392013-14182014-15142015-1610

Chief Scientific Advisers

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, who the chief scientific advisers are; when each such adviser took up their post; and which chief scientific adviser posts currently remain unfilled.

Joseph Johnson: The Chief Scientific Advisers work across departments in partnership with policy makers to ensure the very best in scientific evidence is used in the policy process. Where posts are unfilled, the Government Office for Science works with departments to ensure they have access to the relevant expertise and evidence. The table below contains the current position on CSAs. DeptCSAAppt. DatesBISTim DaffornJuly 2015CLGStephen Aldridge (interim) DCMSVacant DECCJohn LoughheadOct 2014DEFRAIan BoydSeptember 2012DfETim LeunigMarch 2014DfIDChris WhittyJune 2009DfTPhil BlytheJune 2015DHSally DaviesJune 2010DWPPui-Ling LiDecember 2014FCORobin GrimesFebruary 2013FSAGuy PoppyAugust 2014HMTSusan Acland-HoodMay 2015HOBernard SilvermanApril 2010MODVernon GibsonJuly 2012National SecurityNick JenningsJune 2010MOJVacant N.IrelandVacant ScotlandVacant WalesJulie WilliamsSeptember 2013

Gender: Discrimination

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of available research or evidence on the extent to which women experience discriminatory treatment at work in relation to (a) pregnancy, (b) maternity leave and (c) flexible working.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps the Government plans to take to reduce the incidence of discriminatory treatment in relation to (a) pregnancy, (b) maternity leave and (c) flexible working.

Nick Boles: Pregnancy and maternity discrimination is unlawful and unacceptable, which is why the Government and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) jointly funded independent research into the perceived problem. This is the largest research project of its kind to be undertaken in GB. The final report, when it is published, will tell us: • What types of issues women face;• Where the perceived discrimination is occurring;• Who is most at risk; and• Which employers, in terms of size and sectors, are most likely to get complaints. Interim findings were published in July 2015 and can be found at: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/publication/pregnancy-and-maternity-related-discrimination-and-disadvantage-first-findings-surveys-employers-and-0The EHRC will make recommendations to Government once we have the final report and we will use their recommendations and the findings of this research to inform future policy making and to target those areas where practice falls short of expected standards and/or may be infringing the law and denying women their rights. In the meantime the Government is supporting the wider work of the EHRC to support employers in complying with the law. This programme of work includes: • Video case studies of good practice by employers in managing pregnancy, maternity leave and the mother’s return to work - including breastfeeding;• An online toolkit aimed at small and medium-sized employers who may not have HR expertise in managing employees who are pregnant, on maternity leave or returning to work; and• Online guidance on discrimination and pregnancy and maternity rights for individuals and employers. We have made no assessment of the evidence relating to flexible working as the right to request flexible working was only extended to all employees on 30 June 2014. We plan to evaluate the policy in due course.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: UK Membership of EU

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which external organisations officials in his Department have met to discuss the consequences of the UK leaving the EU in each of the last three years; and how many meetings such officials have had with each such organisation.

Anna Soubry: The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis. Officials regularly meet with a range of external organisations to discuss the Government's objectives in Europe.

Science

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the relationship is between the priorities of the Grand Challenges and the Eight Great Technologies programmes.

Joseph Johnson: All of the Grand Challenges relate either to the Eight Great Technologies and/or to objectives published in the Science and Innovation Strategy December 2014.

Research Councils: Grants

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what guidance he has issued to the Research Councils on deadlines for grant funding applications since May 2015; and what effect the forthcoming Spending Review has had on that guidance.

Joseph Johnson: Neither ministers nor officials from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have issued any guidance to Research Councils on grant funding application deadlines since May 2015.

Research Councils: Grants

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions Ministers and officials of his Department have had with the Research Councils on grant funding application deadlines.

Joseph Johnson: Neither ministers nor officials from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have had any recent discussions with Research Councils on grant funding application deadlines. Deadlines for individual funding calls are a matter for the Research Councils or other funding partners where involved.

Research Councils

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what external reviews or research he has commissioned on the future of the Research Councils.

Joseph Johnson: In April 2014 BIS published the findings of the Triennial Review of the Research Councils, which examined their form, function and governance. In December 2014 the Government commissioned Sir Paul Nurse to examine how Research Councils can evolve to support research in the most effective ways.

Tickets: Sales

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, who was consulted in deciding on the personnel and terms of reference of a review into the secondary ticketing market; and how such consultees were selected.

Nick Boles: My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills is currently considering who should Chair the Review and who should assist them.   The proposed Terms of Reference has been drafted in consultation with relevant stakeholders, including the ticketing and event industries, and will be finalised by the Chair to the Review.

Emergencies: Meteorology

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) Government and (b) emergency responders of those organisations receiving different information about the weather in an emergency to that provided by the BBC to the general public.

Joseph Johnson: The BBC’s contract with the Met Office is currently due to end in autumn 2016. The Government is putting arrangements in place to enable consistency of information provided about severe weather to emergency responders and that provided by broadcasters.

Exports: Government Assistance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much the Government allocated to direct lending to UK businesses to promote exports in each of the last five years.

Anna Soubry: UK Export Finance is the government’s export credit agency. It does not directly lend to UK businesses but provides insurance to exporters and guarantees to banks to share the risk of providing export finance. Additionally, it can make loans to overseas buyers of goods and services from the UK.

Green Investment Bank

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the need to (a) review or (b) increase Green Investment Bank (i) CEO or (ii) board salaries in the event of privatisation.

Anna Soubry: Following a sale of the Green Investment Bank, remuneration policy will be a matter for the company’s Board and its shareholders.

Central Lancashire University

Mr Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many students studying at the University of Central Lancashire received hardship grants in the 2015-16 academic year.

Joseph Johnson: Since 2014-15 funding to support students in hardship has been incorporated into the Student Opportunities allocation. Information on the Student Opportunities allocations in the 2015-16 academic year is not yet available. Monitoring returns from institutions on the use of the Student Opportunities Fund for the 2014-15 academic year will be submitted to the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) in the first quarter of 2016 and will tell us how what proportion of the Fund was delivered as hardship payments to students. Information for 2015-16 will not be available until the first quarter of 2017.

Department for International Development

Central African Republic: Overseas Aid

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the timetable is for the completion of programme reviews of UK aid funding for the Central African Republic.

Grant Shapps: DFID has recently completed two project reviews for humanitarian work in the Central African Republic and with Central African Republic refugees. These reviews will shortly be available on our website ‘Development Tracker’.

Yemen: Food

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the likelihood and scale of food shortages in Yemen as a result of conflict in that country.

Mr Desmond Swayne: Food security for the people of Yemen is a growing concern. According to the UN, of the 12.9 million Yemenis classified as food insecure, 6 million are facing severe food shortages. In Hodeidah city alone, UNICEF has warned that 96,000 severely malnourished children are at risk of dying. The ongoing conflict has affected imports of essential fuel, food and medical supplies into Yemen. In addition, ongoing fighting is preventing the distribution of food to those who most need it.The UK is one of the largest donors to the crisis in Yemen and has announced £55 million to help at least half a million Yemenis caught in this conflict. This is providing vital medical supplies, water, food and emergency shelter.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the prospects for re-establishing free and fair access for humanitarian aid to Yemen through Port Hodiedah.

Mr Desmond Swayne: I refer the Right Hon. member to the answer given by my Right Hon. Friend Minister of State Tobias Ellwood on 16 September 2015 to Question 9701.

Iraq: Politics and Government

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what information her Department holds on (a) financial and (b) other support provided by the federal government of Iraq to internally displaced people in the Kurdistan region of that country; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Desmond Swayne: The Government of Iraq’s (GoI) Ministry of Migration and Displacement, the department responsible for addressing humanitarian needs, has a budget for 2015 of $850 million. To date, they have received and allocated $300 million of their budget from the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Displacement and Migration estimate that 40% of the budget received to date is reaching those in the Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI).  Since summer 2014, DFID has provided £59.5 million to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq. This includes essential humanitarian supplies, such as food, water and shelter. In order to improve the effectiveness of the humanitarian response, including between KRI and GOI, we are also funding KRI and GOI coordination mechanisms as part of this support.

Bangladesh: Textiles

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to make it compulsory for companies to comply with the 2013 Accord on Fire and Safety in Bangladesh.

Mr Desmond Swayne: The 2013 Accord on Fire and Safety in Bangladesh is a voluntary, independent, legally binding agreement between Trade unions and Brands. The UK Government is not able to mandate companies to join but all UK companies have been encouraged to do so.  The UK supports a programme which, amongst other activities, conducts structural and fire assessments of those factories not covered by the Accord or the Alliance and ensures that they are closed down or remedied if found to be at risk of fire or collapse.

Nepal: Overseas Aid

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the UK's support for the reconstruction effort in Nepal following the 2014 earthquake in that country.

Mr Desmond Swayne: The UK is one of the largest bilateral donors to Nepal. UK support to the humanitarian response has already delivered important results including: 5,600,000 people benefitting from the restoration of healthcare services in their area; 200,000 benefitting from shelter support; and 80,000 people receiving cash transfers. The Government of Nepal has committed to establishing an Earthquake Reconstruction Authority and a detailed housing and building reconstruction plan. This will be put into effect in the affected areas once the snow clears at the end of winter. We will work closely with the Government of Nepal on these plans. We have established a field presence in Gorkha, the epicentre of the earthquake on 25th April, to assess partner progress and performance and to determine reconstruction priorities.

UN Sustainable Development Summit

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which Ministers and how many officials will take part in the UK delegation at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015; and what estimate she has made of the cost of their attendance at that summit.

Justine Greening: Details of Ministerial overseas travel is published quarterly and is available on the gov.uk website.

Burma: Education

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her Department's policy is on the provision of funding for education through religious organisations in Burma.

Mr Desmond Swayne: DFID Burma’s funding for education through religious organisations has the key policy objective of increasing the number and proportion of children who complete a quality basic education. The programme is delivered through the Myanmar Education Consortium which works with a range of Non-Governmental Organisations, including faith-based organisations, provided that i) the education services are available to members of different religious communities, ii) the project activities supported do not aim to proselytize or explicitly promote a particular religion, iii) where possible promote inter-communal peace and conflict resolution, and iv) do not engage in any action that could promote inter-communal tensions.

Middle East: Refugees

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will hold discussions with the Arab League and other governments in the Middle East on the number of refugees each such country plans to resettle.

Mr Desmond Swayne: UK Ministers and the Secretary of State for International Development frequently discuss Syrian refugees with Arab League members and other governments from the Middle East. These discussions include all aspects of the refugees including resettlement and raising the funding necessary to meet the needs of Syrians still in Syria and those seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.

Gender: Equality

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if the Prime Minister will attend the Global Leader's meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment on 27 September 2015.

Justine Greening: I intend to represent Her Majesty’s Government at the Global Leader’s meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment on 27 September 2015.

Department for Education

Pre-school Education

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children develop good early language skills before they reach primary school.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The government recognises a key part of raising the standard of education for all children is to ensure they receive a good level of development in literacy and numeracy before they start school. The government has taken the following steps to ensure children are developing good early language skills before they reach primary school:   The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the prime areas of learning which early years providers must follow. This includes a focus on communication and language. The Early Years Foundation Stage requires providers to understand the needs of every child and support them as necessary to make progress. The Early Years Foundation stage is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335504/EYFS_framework_from_1_September_2014__with_clarification_note.pdf   The numeracy and literacy skills of staff working with our youngest children are key to supporting children’s progression. We have improved early years qualifications and encouraged high-quality entrants with good numeracy and literacy skills into the profession through setting clear criteria for level 3 training courses and introducing early years initial teacher training.   The government has invested over £50 million funding through the Early Years Pupil premium, an additional £5.3 million to sector organisations under the VCS grants and a one off grant of £5 million to teaching schools and their childcare provider partners to support staff development. Many of the projects funded through departmental grants are supporting staff to develop strong pedagogical approaches to language development and early literacy.

Children: Day Care

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that disadvantaged children have access to good quality childcare.

Mr Sam Gyimah: All local authorities in England have a legal duty to ensure all three- and four-year-olds and the most disadvantaged two-year-olds are able to take up a funded early education place free of charge. Each eligible child is entitled to 570 hours of free early learning a year, equivalent to 15 hours a week of early education for 38 weeks per year. Settings delivering the funded early education entitlement are subject to inspection by Ofsted.   The early years pupil premium, which was introduced in April this year, provides nurseries and schools delivering the early education entitlement for three- and four-year-old children with an extra 53p an hour for each eligible child to help them raise the quality of their setting and so close the gap in school readiness between disadvantaged children and their peers. The Government has made £50 million available for the early years pupil premium in 2015-16.

Classroom Assistants

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish the findings of her Department's review into the status and professionalism of teaching assistants announced in October 2014.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ministry of Justice

Just Solutions International

Nigel Huddleston: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is on the future of Just Solutions International.

Andrew Selous: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 09 September 2015.The correct answer should have been:

Just Solutions international (JSi) was established in the previous parliament as the internal commercial brand of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). Given our ambitious justice reform programme and the need to focus departmental resources on domestic priorities, the Justice Secretary has decided that JSi should cease to operate. NOMS will therefore not pursue any new projects with international partners through JSi. One project led by NOMS through JSi is sufficiently far advanced that the Government has decided withdrawing at this late stage would be detrimental to HMG’s wider interests. Under the JSi brand, NOMS submitted an initial bid to the Saudi Arabian authorities in August 2014, and a final bid in April 2015, to conduct a training needs analysis for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia prison service staff, via ELM, an executive agency of the Saudi Ministry of Finance. Following the submission of a final bid in April 2015, NOMS is now liable for financial penalties should the bid be withdrawn. NOMS’s bid was signed off through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) process, and was supported by UKTI and the British Embassy in Riyadh. NOMS will therefore honour this outstanding bid and enter into a contract subject to the final decisions of ELM. All work relating to this project will be completed within 6 months of starting. My Department will continue to promote the rule of law, good governance and judicial reform internationally, working with FCO, DFID and other Government Departments as required. In future, any support will be provided on a cost recovery rather than a commercial basis.

Andrew Selous: Just Solutions international (JSi) was established in the previous parliament as the internal commercial brand of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). Given our ambitious justice reform programme and the need to focus departmental resources on domestic priorities, the Justice Secretary has decided that JSi should cease to operate. NOMS will therefore not pursue any new projects with international partners through JSi. One project led by NOMS through JSi is sufficiently far advanced that the Government has decided withdrawing at this late stage would be detrimental to HMG’s wider interests. Under the JSi brand, NOMS submitted an initial bid to the Saudi Arabian authorities in August 2014, and a final bid in April 2015, to conduct a training needs analysis for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia prison service staff, via ELM, an executive agency of the Saudi Ministry of Finance. Following the submission of a final bid in April 2015, NOMS is now liable for financial penalties should the bid be withdrawn. NOMS’s bid was signed off through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) process, and was supported by UKTI and the British Embassy in Riyadh. NOMS will therefore honour this outstanding bid and enter into a contract subject to the final decisions of ELM. All work relating to this project will be completed within 6 months of starting. My Department will continue to promote the rule of law, good governance and judicial reform internationally, working with FCO, DFID and other Government Departments as required. In future, any support will be provided on a cost recovery rather than a commercial basis.

Prisoners

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the prison population of the UK was in each year since 2010; and whether it is his policy to reduce the prison population over the course of the current Parliament.

Andrew Selous: Information on the prison population in England and Wales from 2010 to 2015 can be viewed on the Ministry of Justice website and is available in table A1.1 at the following link:-https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/449241/prison-population-2015.xlsx The prison population is determined by sentencing decisions made by the independent judiciary, according to law and after considering the circumstances of the individual case. The Government keeps the sentencing framework under review to make sure that the courts have the appropriate powers to deal with offenders in the most effective way possible.

Television: Licensing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) women and (b) men were found to be using a television without a licence by inspectors in the most recent year for which information is available; and what proportion of (i) women and (ii) men were subsequently prosecuted for a television licence offence.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) men and (b) women were committed to prison for the non-payment of a fine for a television licence offence in the most recent year for which information is available; and how many days each such offender spent in prison.

Andrew Selous: According to TV Licensing's data, in 2014 232,290 women and 114,347 men were interviewed under caution by TV Licensing officers in the course of investigating TV licence offences. The number of people prosecuted for licence fee evasion in 2014 is published here: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/428943/cjs-outcomes-by-offence-data-tool.xls From “offence” drop down list select 191A Television licence evasion. From “sex” drop down list select the male or female. In 2014 11 men and 28 women were committed to prison for non-payment of a fine where the registered fine was for non-payment of the TV Licence. The average time spent in prison was 18 days for men and 20 days for women.

Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the highest number of times was that a person was received into prison in each of the last three years.

Andrew Selous: This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Justice: UK Membership of EU

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which external organisations officials in his Department have met to discuss the consequences of the UK leaving the EU in each of the last three years; and how many meetings such officials have had with each such organisation.

Dominic Raab: The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and is campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis. Officials regularly meet with a range of external organisations to discuss the Government's objectives in Europe.

Ministry of Justice: UK Membership of EU

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which external organisations he has met to discuss the consequences of the UK leaving the EU in each of the last three years; and how many times he has met each such organisation.

Dominic Raab: The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and is campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis. The Secretary of State regularly meets with a range of external organisations to discuss the Government's objectives in Europe. Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly.

Ministry of Justice: UK Membership of EU

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many officials in his Department are engaged in research into the effects of the UK leaving the EU.

Dominic Raab: The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and is campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis. Departments are appropriately resourced to support the Government’s priorities in Europe.

Prisoners

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners are held in open wings of closed prisons; and for which offences each such prisoner is serving their sentence.

Andrew Selous: Open units within closed prisons are a cost-effective means of providing regional resettlement opportunities for those prisoners who are risk assessed as been suitable for such accommodation. Progression to open prisons, or to open units within closed prisons, is never automatic, and prisoners must generally be within two years of release before they can be considered for allocation. Only those prisoners who are assessed as having reduced their risks of escape or abscond and risk of harm to the public and who are judged to be trustworthy in conditions of very low security will be allocated to open prison conditions. The table below shows the offences for which prisoners held in open units were sentenced, as at 30 June 2015: Number of prisoners held in open wings (1) of closed prisons by offence group in England and Wales as at 30 June 2015 Offence GroupNumber of PrisonersTotal511 Violence against the person130 Sexual offences2 Robbery47 Theft offences74 Criminal damage and arson4 Drug offences155 Possession of weapons13 Public order offences2 Miscellaneous offences against society36 Fraud offences45 Summary non-motoring2 Summary motoring1 Offence not recorded0(1) This data includes prisoners held in open prisons that lie within a cluster of prisons. Data Sources and Quality  These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Bail: West Yorkshire

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2015 to Question 4115, what offences were committed by the offenders on bail shown in table 1 in that Answer in (a) 2010 and (b) 2014.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2015 to Question 4115, what the reasons are for the reduction between 2010 and 2014 in the figures contained in the tables in that Answer.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2015 to Question 4115, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the reductions in those figures between 2010 and 2014.

Andrew Selous: Police forces use local systems to record offences committed on bail, and there is no requirement to report data centrally. The complete information can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Open Prisons

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2015 to Question 6617, which offences the prisoner currently in an open prison who had previously absconded but was allowed to move to open conditions since May 2014 had committed; and what length of sentence was being served in each such case.

Andrew Selous: The prisoner referred to in my reply to Question 6617, is serving a life sentence for murder. Since May 2014, prisoners with a history of escape, absconding or serious temporary release failure during the current sentence have been precluded from transfer to open conditions, other than in the most exceptional circumstances. The decision to permit the prisoner to return to open conditions was taken only after careful consideration by senior officials within the National Offender Management Service in consultation with Ministers.

Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2015 to Question 6753, what estimate he has made of the duration of the development period referred to in that Answer.

Andrew Selous: An update will be published in due course.

Spring Hill Prison: Prisoner Escapes

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether an internal review has been conducted of the case of Ross Underwood who absconded from HMP Springhill in May 2015; and if he will make statement.

Andrew Selous: An internal review was commissioned into the case of Ross Underwood. It reported in July 2015 and all recommendations were accepted. Mr Underwood was recaptured on 2 June and returned to closed conditions. He received a 6 month sentence for absconding.

Legal Aid Scheme: Finance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his reasons are for reducing the legal aid budget.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The changes we are making to criminal legal aid will deliver value for money to taxpayers and do not affect the availability of high quality legal advice to those who need it most. Changes will put the profession on a sustainable footing for the long term. Maintaining access to justice is absolutely vital. Even after these reforms our legal aid system remains one of the most generous systems in the world.

Ford Prison: Prisoner Escapes

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether an internal review has been conducted of the case of Alexander Denny who absconded from HMP Ford; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Selous: An investigation was commissioned into the case of Alexander Denny in July 2015. It reported in July 2015 and all recommendations were accepted. Mr Denny is now in closed conditions. Legal proceedings against Mr Denny are ongoing.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time taken was by the Tribunals Service to administer a First-tier Tribunal Social Security and Child Support appeal in respect of (a) disability living allowance, (b) employment and support allowance, (c) income support, (d) jobseeker's allowance and (e) tax credits in (i) Coventry, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) England in (A) each of the last six years and (B) the latest period for which figures are available.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The First-tier Tribunal – Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service, hears appeals against the Department for Work and Pensions’ decisions on a range of benefits. The tables below show the average length of time to administer appeals in respect of (a) Disability Living Allowance (DLA), (b) Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), (c) Income Support (IS), (d) Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and (e) Tax Credits in (i) Coventry, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) England between April 2014 and March 2015 in each of the last six years (Table A) and the latest period for which figures are available (Table B). Table AAverage length of time (in weeks) to administer appeals between April 2009 and March 2010 DLA1ESA2ISJSATax Credits3Coventry13.012.412.59.813.9West Midlands414.913.614.810.213.8England516.312.616.011.114.8Average length of time (in weeks) to administer appeals between April 2010 and March 2011 DLA1ESA2ISJSATax Credits3Coventry26.821.316.212.518.4West Midlands422.822.520.715.717.0England522.619.319.912.915.7Average length of time (in weeks) to administer appeals between April 2011 and March 2012 DLA1ESA2ISJSATax Credits3Coventry47.238.523.318.822.1West Midlands 436.632.327.319.223.5England528.724.124.813.918.5Average length of time (in weeks) to administer appeals between April 2012 and March 2013 DLA1ESA2ISJSATax Credits3Coventry36.934.927.514.133.1West Midlands430.024.821.612.826.3England525.618.920.610.823.2Average length of time (in weeks) to administer appeals between April 2013 and March 2014 DLA1ESA2ISJSATax Credits3Coventry32.629.222.914.218.9West Midlands421.626.921.013.017.3England524.722.819.811.616.9Average length of time (in weeks) to administer appeals between April 2014 and March 2015 DLA1ESA2ISJSATax Credits3Coventry40.739.933.328.317.6West Midlands433.835.437.025.817.3England533.130.430.725.416.9 Table BAverage length of time to administer appeals (in weeks) between April 2015 and March 2015 DLA1ESA2ISJSATax Credits3Coventry37.230.530.317.427.2West Midlands424.527.330.219.827.6England5 22.218.528.522.026.0A decrease in receipts allowed the Tribunal to clear its outstanding caseload of older and more complex cases, some of which were over a year old. This increased the average disposal time in the year in which these cases were cleared.Notes:SSCS data are normally registered to the venue nearest to the appellant's home address. We cannot retrieve data based on the appellant’s actual address, but can produce reports detailing the numbers of cases that were dealt with at one of our Regional centres or heard at a specific venue.1. Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is progressively being replaced by Personal Independence Payment (PIP), from April 2013, for people aged between 16 and 64.2. Includes Employment Support Allowance and Employment Support Allowance (Reassessments)3. Includes Working Family Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit.4. West Midlands includes the venues in: Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford, Stoke, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Shrewsbury, Kidderminster, Leamington Spa, Nuneaton and Walsall.5. Excludes SSCS Scotland processing centre and the following venues Aberystwyth, Bridgend, Cardiff, Caernafon, Carmarthen, Colwyn Bay, Cwmbran, Haverfordwest, Llandrindod Wells, Langstone, Llandudno, Llanelli, Llangefni, Llwynypia, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath, Port Talbot, Newton Abbott, Newtown, Pontypridd, Pontypool, Prestatyn, Swansea, Welshpool, Wrexham, Bargoed and Ebbw ValeAlthough care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the details are subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale case management system and is the best data that is available.

Prisoners' Release

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, from which prisons prisoners have been released on temporary licence in each of the last five years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in what proportion of (a) men's and (b) women's prisons are prisoners eligible for release on temporary licence.

Andrew Selous: I attach a list of each of the prisons from which prisoners have been released on temporary licence (ROTL) in the last 5 years.Eligibility for ROTL primarily depends upon the assessment of the prisoner in question rather than the classification of the establishment in which they are currently detained. So, whilst a Category A prisoner cannot have ROTL and Category B prisoners can take it only in exceptional circumstances, lower category prisoners who are eligible to be considered for ROTL are held in category B and in some category A prisons. The key test is whether the prisoner in question is eligible to be considered, has a legitimate purpose for temporary releases linked to the sentence plan, and passes the rigorous risk assessment required.Since 2013 when the process was revised there has been a 39% drop in the number of temporary release failures. This is the lowest failure rate since 2002, and the absconding rate has reached record lows under this and the Coalition government.

Ford Prison: Prisoner Escapes

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how long Lee Fudge had been at HMP Ford before he absconded; and whether an internal review has been conducted of the decision to move him to an open prison.

Andrew Selous: Lee Fudge transferred to HMP Ford on 26th May 2015. He absconded on 2nd July and was recaptured on 6th July. An investigation was commissioned into the circumstances of the abscond including the decision to move Mr Fudge to open conditions. It recently reported and the recommendations are being considered. No concerns were found around the decision to transfer Mr Fudge to open conditions. Mr Fudge received an 8 month sentence for absconding.

Ford Prison: Prisoner Escapes

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how long Mark Chatfield had been at HMP Ford before he absconded; what proportion of his sentence he had served before being moved to HMP Ford; and whether an internal review has been conducted of the decision to move him to an open prison.

Andrew Selous: Mr Chatfield arrived at HMP Ford on 30 April 2015 and absconded on 2 July 2015. He was due for release in March 2016 and had served approximately a year of his sentence, including remand time. The circumstances of Mr Chatfield’s move to open conditions have been reviewed. He was transferred following a re-categorisation review board and there are no concerns with the process followed. Mr Chatfield was recaptured and returned to closed conditions. He received an additional 12 week sentence for absconding.

Prisons: Newspaper Press

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many copies of each newspaper were delivered to prisons in the most recent year for which information is available.

Andrew Selous: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Prisoners can use their own money to purchase newspapers at the discretion of governors and directors of contracted out prisons.

Open Prisons: Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners currently in open prisons previously breached the conditions of their temporary licence.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2015 to Question 6617, which offences each of the prisoners currently in open prisons who have previously absconded and were in open conditions in May 2014 had committed; and what length of sentence each such person was serving.

Andrew Selous: My officials are currently working to provide the information requested. I will write to you when the information becomes available.

Dog Fighting: Crime

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there were for dog fighting in 2014.

Andrew Selous: 10 defendants were proceeded against at magistrates' courts, and five were found guilty at all courts of offences related to dog fighting in England and Wales, in 2014. This information was obtained from a manual review of court case files that centrally held data indicated may be relevant, and as such has not been through the same quality assurance processes as for routinely published data. These figures relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

Family Courts: Databases

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, who is responsible for the collection of data on families, their cases and the time in which they are within the justice system.

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the recording of data within the family justice system.

Caroline Dinenage: Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) administers the Family Court and is responsible for recording and monitoring data of family cases on the main case management system. HMCTS use a system of standard operating procedures and data quality checks to ensure the effectiveness of recording data across HMCTS. Data is then extracted each month into a management information system (MIS). The Ministry of Justice use the data to produce the Family Court Statistics Quarterly bulletin which publishes workload and timeliness statistics for the Family Court. Data on timeliness in care proceedings are also published on the Open Justice website at Designated Family Judge level.

Secure Training Centres: Redundancy

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether any staff redundancies are planned as a result of the allocation of new contracts at Rainsbrook and Medway secure training centres.

Andrew Selous: Staff employed at Rainsbrook STC at the time of the transfer will transfer to the new provider, MTC Novo, under TUPE Regulations, unless they choose not to.It is not appropriate to speculate or prejudge staffing requirements or the outcome of the transfer process.

Secure Training Centres: Contracts

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, why his Department did not award new five year contracts to run Rainsbrook and Medway secure training centres at the time originally scheduled.

Andrew Selous: The award date was indicative only and it is not unusual for this to change. This has been a large and complex procurement that has involved extensive dialogue with all five bidders and a stringent governance process.

Dangerous Driving: Sentencing

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the length of sentences handed down to people who have been convicted of causing death by (a) careless and (b) dangerous driving; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Selous: There has been a long term decrease in the number of cases of causing death by careless and dangerous driving and, generally, an increase in the average custodial sentence lengths.Information on the length of custodial sentences imposed for offenders convicted of causing death by careless and dangerous driving can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/428943/cjs-outcomes-by-offence-data-tool.xls.

Prime Minister

Counter-terrorism

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his statement of 7 September 2015, Official Report, column 26, on Syria: refugees and counter-terrorism, whether the meeting of the National Security Council to which he referred was provided with the full written advice to Government, a summary of that advice or a verbal statement by the Attorney General on the legal basis for the military action against Reyaad Khan.

Mr David Cameron: As my statement to the House on Monday 7 September made clear, at a meeting of the most senior members of the National Security Council, it was agreed that should the right opportunity arise, military action should be taken. The Attorney General attended the meeting and confirmed that there was a legal basis for action. Information about the detail of internal proceedings and discussions are not normally disclosed.

Ministry of Defence

Nuclear Power: Training

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) service personnel and (b) civil servants have completed the (i) Nuclear Advanced Course, (ii) Nuclear Reactor Course, (iii) Nuclear Radiological Protection Course, (iv) Nuclear Dockyard Reactor Chemist Course and (v) Rolls Royce Nuclear Engineers Course in each financial year since 2001-02.

Mr Philip Dunne: The information requested by Service (Serv) and civil service (CS) personnel is provided below:Financial YearNACNACNRCNRPCNRPCNDRCC ServCSServServCSCS2001-0220171102002-0300150202003-0421181102004-0510142002005-0620182002006-0720150102007-0811181202008-0921152102009-1023182002010-1124201102011-1215141202012-1326165222013-1422202302014-151214140 NAC - Nuclear Advanced CourseNRC - Nuclear Reactor CourseNRPC - Nuclear Radiological Protection CourseNDRCC - Nuclear Dockyard Reactor Chemist CourseIn 2012-13 two civil servants attended the Nuclear Dockyard Reactor Chemist Course (NDRCC) run primarily for civilian contractors (Babcock) within the dockyards. No Service personnel or civil servants attended the Rolls Royce Nuclear Engineer's Course (NEC) attended by Rolls Royce staff.

Nuclear Engineering

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on additional payments to retain nuclear engineers in service in each financial year between 2005-06 and 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: In Financial Year (FY) 2005-06, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) made Recruitment and Retention Allowance (RRA) payments of £1.3 million to civilian Nuclear Suitably Qualified and Experienced Personnel (NSQEP). Payment information for subsequent financial years for civilian personnel until 2014-15 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Not all NSQEP are nuclear engineers; staff in receipt of NSQEP include personnel in other functions such as project management and logistics. The following table provides the total Recruitment and Retention Payments paid specifically to military nuclear engineers.  FY2007-08£ millionsFY2008-09£ millionsFY2009-10£ millionsFY2010-11£ millionsFY2011-12£ millionsFY2012-13£ millionsFY2013-14£ millionsFY2014-15£ millionsNuclearPropulsionPay£2.9£2.8£3.2£3.3£3.6£3.6£3.4£3.1FinancialRetentionIncentive£0.7£1.9£1.9£1.4£0.2£0.8£0.8£0.7TOTAL£3.6£4.7£5.1£4.7£3.8£4.4£4.2£3.8

Armed Forces: Russia

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assets are monitoring the deployment of Severomorsk to the Arctic Ocean.

Penny Mordaunt: It has been the policy of successive Governments not to comment on the employment of UK intelligence or surveillance capabilities.

Nuclear Weapons: Emergencies

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the name, date and location is of each nuclear weapons accident response exercise which (a) has taken place or is planned in 2015 and (b) is scheduled for 2016.

Mr Philip Dunne: The names, dates and locations of nuclear weapons accident response exercises that have taken place or are scheduled between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2016 are provided below:Exercises Conducted (1 Jan 2015 to present) DateLocationSenator SlickMarch 2015SuffolkOrange EagleJune 2015BerkshireOsmosisJuly 2015SuffolkOpen IsotopeJuly 2015SuffolkDiamond DragonJuly 2015Suffolk Exercises Scheduled (present to 31 Dec 2016) DateLocationAstral Climb / OsmosisNovember 2015NottinghamshireOrange EagleMarch 2016BerkshireOsmosisJune 2016Dumfries & GallowayOpen IsotopeJune 2016Dumfries & GallowayAstral ClimbJune 2016Dumfries & GallowayAstral Bend / OsmosisSeptember 2016OxfordshireOpen IsotopeSeptember 2016Oxfordshire

Ministry of Defence: Iraq

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Ministry of Defence staff were based in Iraq on (a) 1 January, (b) 1 April and (c) 1 September 2015.

Penny Mordaunt: The majority of Ministry of Defence (MOD) staff currently in Iraq are deployed on Operation SHADER in support of the Global Coalition's efforts to degrade and defeat the, so called, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). All MOD staff currently deployed to Iraq are Service personnel and the precise number will fluctuate on an almost daily basis as personnel move in and out of Iraq for operational reasons. The MOD has five staff permanently based in Iraq at the British Embassy and Consulate General. DateTotal MOD Civilian andService personnel in Iraq1 January 2015191 April 20151491 September 2015213

Islamic State: Military Intervention

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his letter to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion, dated 24 July 2015, what estimate he has made of the number of ISIL fighters killed as a result of UK strike activity; and what estimate the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL has made of civilian casualties arising from its activities.

Michael Fallon: The estimated number of ISIL fighters killed as a result of UK strikes from September 2014 to 31 August 2015 is around 330. This figure is highly approximate, not least given the absence of UK ground troops in a position to observe the effects of strike activity. We do not believe there have been any civilian casualties as a result of UK strike activity. Any overall estimates would be a matter for the coalition.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many disputes on armed forces veterans' pensions entitlements Veterans UK and its predecessor organisations has dealt with in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster: The breakdown of information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the total number of disputes and complaints for the Armed Forces Pension Scheme, including all disputes not just those specific to entitlement, in each of the last five years is provided below.   Year Total2015 (to date)41420145562013577201239220113722010459Total2,770

Armed Forces: Pensions

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what pensions awards the Government has made to armed forces veterans in Inverclyde in each of the last 10 years.

Mark Lancaster: The total number of Armed Forces Pension Scheme awards that became payable in each of the last 10 years, to veterans in the Inverclyde district, are set out below. Calendar YearPensions Awarded2005520061020071020081020095201015201115201210201320201415201510 In line with departmental policy, values have been rounded to the nearest 5.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse from the reduction in the benefit cap over the course of this Parliament.

Justin Tomlinson: The estimated additional savings of the lower, tiered cap were announced at the Summer Budget 2015 available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/443195/Policy_costings_summer_budget_2015.pdf

Personal Independence Payment

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to reintroduce indefinite personal independence payment awards for degenerative and incurable conditions without further assessment.

Justin Tomlinson: Personal Independence Payment is designed to assess people as individuals and ensure that decisions on entitlement, award lengths and timing of reviews are appropriate and evidence-based. We have been clear that longer term awards will be made in cases where the claimant's needs are expected to remain relatively stable or change slowly. On-going awards will be made in some cases where significant change in the claimant's needs is very unlikely. All awards, regardless of duration, will be reviewed periodically to ensure that the individual continues to receive the correct amount of benefit. Where we have sufficient evidence to do so, we will conduct a paper based assessment without the need for the claimant to attend a face to face assessment.

Personal Independence Payment

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who no longer meet the criteria for the mobility scheme due to changes from disability living allowance to personal independence payment; and what support his Department has given to people affected by those changes.

Justin Tomlinson: It is too early to form a reliable estimate from live running of the number of DLA recipients who are Motability users who will not qualify for the enhanced rate of the PIP mobility component. DWP will continue to pay DLA for four weeks after the decision not to pay PIP enhanced mobility component is made. The Motability charity has confirmed that claimants can keep their car for up to three weeks after DLA payments end. This means that claimants will retain their car for up to nearly two months even though they are not entitled to PIP enhanced mobility component.   In addition the Department has worked closely with Motability to ensure that those claimants who no longer meet the criteria for the mobility scheme are supported through the transitional period. For most of these claimants who entered into their first lease agreement with Motability before January 2013, Motability will provide transitional support of £2,000. This will enable many claimants to continue to meet their mobility needs by purchasing a used car. For claimants who entered into their first lease agreement with the scheme after January 2013 and up to December 2013, Motability will supply transitional support of £1,000 to assist with mobility costs.

Health and Safety Executive

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many businesses were pro-actively inspected by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: The number of businesses that were pro-actively inspected by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last 12 months is as follows: Month/YearNumber of businesses pro-actively inspectedSeptember 20141723October 20142128November 20141310December 2014875January 20151399February 20151487March 20151336April 20151176May 20151154June 20151209July 20151244August 2015762

Health and Safety Executive

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2015 to Question 6342, if he will place a copy of the Joint Workplace Protocol in the Library.

Justin Tomlinson: The Joint Working Protocol (JWP), and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance to inspectors concerning the application of the JWP, is publicly available on HSE’s website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/ocs/001-099/84_6/appendix1.htm and http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/ocs/001-099/84_6/ respectively. I will place a copy of the Joint Working Protocol in the Library.

Health and Safety Executive: Staff

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what changes are planned to the level of staffing in the Health and Safety Executive in the next 12 months.

Justin Tomlinson: HSE’s aim, currently, is to broadly maintain staffing at its existing level over the next 12 months.

Carer's Allowance: Scotland

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of claimants of carer's allowance in Scotland who stopped receiving that allowance due to earning more than £110 per week in the last 12 months.

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy that the recipients of carer's allowance lose only a proportion of that allowance when they begin to earn more that £110 per week.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not available. A carer can earn up to £110 a week after National Insurance, tax and other allowable expenses are deducted and still be able to receive Carer’s Allowance. The earnings limit was increased by 8% in April 2015 and 4,000 people will benefit from this increase this year. We have no plans to move to a taper system.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by when he plans for one million people to be in receipt of universal credit; and what steps he is taking to achieve this outcome.

Priti Patel: The Universal Credit programme has hit, or is on target to achieve, all of the dates we set out in Autumn 2014. The number of people on benefits is driven by a range of factors. Because of this, the programme measures progress by the successful achievement of milestones of its delivery plan rather than targets for numbers of claimants.

Carer's Allowance: Scotland

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people in Scotland caring for someone who are not eligible for carer's allowance.

Justin Tomlinson: A number of conditions have to be satisfied to receive Carer’s Allowance. These can only be tested when an actual claim is made. As such there is no basis on which such an estimate could be made.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Common Agricultural Policy

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to reduce the financial penalties imposed by the European Commission on her Department relating to the Common Agricultural Policy; and what estimate she has made of the likely level of such penalties in 2016-17.

George Eustice: Complexity in CAP rules and the interpretation that EU auditors place on regulations is the root cause of many disallowance corrections. Since 2010, steps taken by Defra have allowed the disallowance penalties incurred in England to be steadily managed at around £50m per year. Throughout this period the Government has challenged claims for disallowance through mediation in the EU and since 2010 reduced the amount of disallowance levied by €285m.   The Department’s Annual Report and Accounts provides provisions of £64.5m for future disallowance related to historical audits. While future disallowance penalties are difficult to predict, the Government is concerned that the new Horizontal Regulation amends the way that penalty rates are calculated, introducing a ratchet effect, which could greatly increase proposed disallowance penalty corrections, even if the same standards of implementation are maintained. The UK Government believes that a proportionate penalty scheme in the Horizontal Regulation is a priority for CAP simplification and the mid-term review of CAP regulations.

Horses: Animal Welfare

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions there have been for abandoning or neglecting horses in each of the last five years.

George Eustice: Prosecutions under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 for abandonment or neglect are not broken down by type of animal.

Weedkillers

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make representations to the European Commission on overturning the ban on the herbicide Asulam.

George Eustice: Despite UK opposition, asulam was withdrawn from the market at the end of 2012 following an EU review. Asulam is a valuable resource for land managers needing to control bracken. Therefore, in line with EU rules, limited and controlled use has been allowed to continue in the UK where alternative control measures would not be effective.A new application for EU approval has been submitted and is currently being examined by the Health and Safety Executive. Their assessment will be completed later this year and will be peer reviewed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which will issue its own conclusions. The European Commission will then decide whether to approve asulam for use. If approval is granted, Member States can consider applications to authorise products containing asulam.The Government believes that decisions on the approval and authorisation of pesticides should be taken on the basis of a scientific assessment of risk. If the assessment shows that asulam can be used without unacceptable risk, this should be permitted.

Food Supply: Urban Areas

Ms Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government has carried out an assessment of the resilience of food supply chains to cities.

George Eustice: Food supply is part of our Critical National Infrastructure. Defra produces an annual Sector Resilience Plan which sets out the resilience of the sector to all relevant risks. A public summary of Sector Resilience Plans is published on GOV.UK.   The UK food industry has a highly effective and resilient supply chain owing to the size, geographic diversity and competitiveness. There is recognised dependency on other critical sectors such as fuel, energy, transport and communications however the food supply sector has demonstrated resilience in response to potentially disruptive challenges in recent years. Defra works closely with the food industry to ensure the continued resilience of food supply.

Home Office

Drugs: Children

Kit Malthouse: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many times Hampshire Police has confiscated legal highs from children aged under 18 in (a) Basingstoke, (b) Andover and (c) Hampshire in each of the last three years.

Kit Malthouse: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people Hampshire Police has prosecuted for supplying legal highs to children aged under 18 in (a) Basingstoke, (b) Andover and (c) Hampshire in each of the last three years.

Mike Penning: The Home Office does not hold the information requested centrally.On 28 May, we introduced the Psychoactive Substances Bill in the House of Lords to create a blanket ban on the supply of psychoactive substances.The Bill will ban the sale, supply, production and distribution of psychoactive substances for human consumption and give police and local authorities greater powers to tackle this reckless trade.

Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Crime

Phil Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research her Department (a) has commissioned and (b) has planned on the amount of crime committed while the offender is under the influence of (i) alcohol and (ii) Class A drugs.

Mike Penning: There is no current or planned research on the amount of crime committed while the offender is under the influence of alcohol or Class A drugs. Through the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) the Government continues to monitor the proportion of incidents where the victim believed the offender(s) to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. According to the 2013/14 CSEW, in an estimated 704,000 violent incidents the offender was under the influence of alcohol (53% of violent incidents), compared with around 863,000 incidents in 2010/11 (48% of violent incidents). In the 2013/14 CSEW the offender was believed to be under the influence of drugs in an estimated 304,000 violent incidents (23% of violent incidents) compared with around 373,000 incidents (20% of violent incidents) in 2010/11. The proportion of violent incidents perceived to involve alcohol or drugs is similar between 2010/11 and 2013/14 (not statistically significantly different).

Terrorism: Prosecutions

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions have been made under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in each year since 2010.

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in countering terrorism.

Mr John Hayes: The published statistics for charges brought under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 grouped together with Sections 11 and 12 (as a primary offence) for Great Britain can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/347817/operation-police-powers-terrorism-1314-tabs.odsThe published statistics on charges broken down by year between 2012/13 to 2014 for Northern Ireland can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics?departments%5B%5D=northern-ireland-officeNo further breakdown is available. The figures for Great Britain are likely to understate the numbers of people who have been prosecuted and convicted for these offences as information is only collected on the most serious offence for which a person is charged or convicted. Proscription sends a strong message that terrorist organisations are not tolerated in the UK and deters them from operating here.Proscription is an important tool available to the Government, police and security service to disrupt terrorist activity. It makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support a proscribed group. Proscription can also support other disruptive activities, including immigration disruptions, prosecution for other offences, EU asset freezes and broader action to deter fundraising and recruitment. Additionally, all resources of a proscribed organisation are terrorist property and subject to seizure.

Terrorism: Arrests

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested on charges related to terrorist plots and intelligence gathered which led to the military action on Reyaad Khan.

Mr John Hayes: I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on 10 September 2015, to the hon Member for Newport West, Paul Flynn.

Cycling: Footpaths

Mr Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which police forces in England ran campaigns in 2014 to tackle cyclists riding on footpaths other than a pavement; what the dates and locations was of each such campaign; and how many cyclists were given fixed penalties or prosecuted during those campaigns.

Mike Penning: The Home Office does not hold this information. How the police enforce the offence of cycling on the footpath, including any particular campaigns, is an operational matter for their discretion.

Off-licences

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what powers local authorities currently have to restrict the hours during which off-licences can sell alcohol; and whether the Government has plans to devolve further such powers to local authorities

Mike Penning: Licensing authorities have powers under the Licensing Act 2003 to restrict the hours in which alcohol is sold, if it is appropriate for the promotion of the licensing objectives. Decisions are based on individual consideration of each premises application, as appropriate for the promotion of the licensing objectives and in line with the licensing authority’s statement of licensing policy.Early morning alcohol restriction orders (EMRO) allow a licensing authority to restrict the sale of alcohol between midnight and 6am. EMROs are designed to address recurring problems such as high levels of alcohol-related crime and disorder in specific areas at specific times; serious public nuisance; and other instances of alcohol-related anti-social behaviour which is not directly attributable to specific premises. Licensing authorities may decide to implement a Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP) where an exceptional number of licensed premises concentrated in one area have a cumulative impact on the promotion of the licensing objectives in that area. The CIP creates a rebuttable presumption that applications for premises licences which are likely to add to the existing cumulative impact will normally be refused or subject to certain limitations. The Government keeps these powers under review, but there are currently no plans to create additional new powers for licensing authorities.

Company Investigations: Freezing of Assets

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Sussex Police are required to freeze the assets of a company they are investigating; on what grounds police may freeze the assets of a company they are investigating; and at what point such assets may be unfrozen if police bail has expired and no charges have been brought.

Mike Penning: The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 permits an application for a restraint order to be made to “freeze” assets of an alleged offender, which includes a company, if there is reasonable cause to suspect that an offender has benefitted from their criminal conduct. A restraint order has the effect of freezing property that may be liable to confiscation following a trial and the subsequent making of a confiscation order. There is no legal requirement for a police force to freeze the assets of a company they are investigating, although it is good practice to do so in cases in which assets need to be preserved for confiscation at a later date. A restraint order may be made by a Crown Court if any of the following conditions are satisfied:(1) A criminal investigation has been started in England and Wales and there is reasonable grounds to suspect that the alleged offender has benefitted from criminal conduct(2) Proceedings for an offence have been commenced in England and Wales and not concluded and there is reasonable grounds to believe that an alleged offender has benefitted from criminal conduct.In addition to the statutory conditions, there must be a real risk that the assets will be dissipated.A restraint order can be varied or discharged upon application by a person affected by the order. The Proceeds of Crime Act also provides that the court is required to discharge any restraint order at the conclusion of proceedings. If an order is made under condition (1) above, the court is also required to monitor progress with the investigation, and if a decision to charge is not made within a reasonable time, the court may discharge the restraint order.

Burma: Exclusion Orders

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Burmese Home Affairs Minister, Lt. Gen. Ko Ko, is excluded from entering the UK.

James Brokenshire: It is Home Office policy not to comment on whether an individual is, or is not, excluded from the UK unless the person concerned has already put this information into the public domain themselves, or if the information is already in the public domain.

Motor Vehicles: Theft

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will take steps to reduce the number of thefts of hi-tech vehicles.

Mike Penning: Vehicle crime is at its lowest level since 1995 and theft of vehicles has fallen over a third since 2010 according to the Independent Crime Survey for England and Wales. We are not complacent, however, and we remain alert to changes in trends. We are working very closely with the police and industry on the issue of electronic vehicle theft to ensure that, together, we have up to date responses in place.

Off-licences

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, between what hours alcohol is not permitted to be sold from off-licences; and what plans to change such restrictions the Government has.

Mike Penning: The Licensing Act 2003 gives licensing authorities the power to make decisions regarding licensed opening hours.Decisions are based on individual consideration of each premises application, as appropriate for the promotion of the licensing objectives and in line with the licensing authority’s statement of licensing policy.The Government has no plans to change this aspect of the alcohol licensing regime.

Metropolitan Police: Equipment

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Metropolitan Police first had authorisation to issue and allow officers to use a collapsible baton.

Mike Penning: The Metropolitan Police Service first had authorisation to use a collapsible baton on 28 June 1995.

Wales Office

Business: Wales

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the effect in Wales of the Government's measures to support businesses.

Stephen Crabb: Our economic recovery continues to gather momentum with Welsh businesses thriving. There are now 22,000 more businesses in Wales than in 2010. This is testament to the ambition and success of this Government’s long-term plan for Wales and the UK.

Block Grant: Wales

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what plans the Government has for the future of the block grant to Wales.

Stephen Crabb: This includes a commitment to introduce a funding floor at the Spending Review to ensure for the first time that Wales has a funding framework that will stand the test of time.

Health Services: Wales

Ben Howlett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Welsh Government on equality and diversity training in health and social care in Wales.

Alun Cairns: I, along with Ministerial colleagues, have regular discussions with Welsh Government Ministers on a range of issues, including equality and diversity within the health and social care sectors in Wales.

HM Treasury

Free Movement of People

Mr David Nuttall: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on the number of EU migrants coming to the UK of the reforms of tax credits and the introduction of a living wage announced in the Summer Budget 2015; and whether he plans to take these measures into account in his discussions with EU states on reforming the EU's rules on freedom of movement.

Damian Hinds: The OBR’s Economic and fiscal outlook (EFO) forecasts incorporate the expected impact of the policy decisions announced in each Budget and Autumn Statement. As well as judging the direct fiscal impact of the policy measures, the OBR must also judge whether – individually or in aggregate – they are likely to affect the outlook for the economy sufficiently to merit adjusting the economic forecast.

Tax Collection

Andrew Bridgen: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many notices or demands for payment were posted to companies and individuals by HM Revenue and Customs for amounts less than £1 in each financial year since 2012-13.

Mr David Gauke: The number of notices or demands for payment for amounts less than £1 could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. HM Revenue and Customs does not automatically collect the data on how many notices or demands for payments are issued for amounts less than £1.

Welfare Tax Credits

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the effect on (a) relative and (b) absolute child poverty of the four year freeze announced in the Summer Budget 2015 on the uprating of (i) tax credits and (ii) child benefit.

Damian Hinds: This Government is committed to working to eliminate child poverty and improving life chances for children.   The Government has carefully considered the impact of the tax and benefit reforms introduced in the Summer Budget. The intended impact of these reforms is to incentivise work, ensure work always pays, and then allow people to keep more of what they earn.

Pensions: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on the average overall value of the pensions of people in Scotland over the course of their retirement of changes to (a) drawdown products and (b) switching retirement income products introduced in April 2015.

Harriett Baldwin: The requested information is not available.

Treasury: UK Membership of EU

Mr David Nuttall: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which external organisations he has met to discuss the consequences of the UK leaving the EU in each of the last three years; and how many times he has met each such organisation.

Mr David Gauke: The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis. The Chancellor of the Exchequer regularly meets with a range of external organisations to discuss the Government's objectives in Europe. Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly.

Treasury: UK Membership of EU

Mr David Nuttall: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many officials in his Department are engaged in research into the effects of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr David Gauke: The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis. Departments are appropriately resourced to support the Government’s priorities in Europe.

Treasury: UK Membership of EU

Mr David Nuttall: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which external organisations officials in his Department have met to discuss the consequences of the UK leaving the EU in each of the last three years; and how many meetings such officials have had with each such organisation.

Mr David Gauke: The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU and campaigning to keep the UK in the EU on that basis. Officials regularly meet with a range of external organisations to discuss the Government's objectives in Europe.

Children: Poverty

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the effect on (a) relative and (b) absolute child poverty of (i) the two child limit for the child element of Tax Credit; and (ii) the removal of the family element of Child Tax Credit announced in the July Budget.

Damian Hinds: This Government is committed to working to eliminate child poverty and improving life chances for children.   The Government has carefully considered the impact of the tax and benefit reforms introduced in the Summer Budget. The intended impact of these reforms is to incentivise work, ensure work always pays, and then allow people to keep more of what they earn.

Public Sector: Pay

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the savings that will accrue to the public purse from capping public sector pay increases at 1 per cent in each of (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18, (c) 2018-19, (d) 2019-20 and (e) 2020-21.

Greg Hands: At Summer Budget the government reiterated the need to continue to take tough decisions on public sector pay, in order to improve the public finances while protecting the quality of public services and jobs.   Therefore the government announced that it will fund public sector workforces for an average pay award of 1% for 4 years from 2016-17 onwards. This will save approximately £5 billion by 2019-20.

Severn River Crossing: Tolls

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department expects to be raised in VAT on Severn Bridge tolls in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017 and (d) 2018.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not produce forecasts for future VAT payable on the Severn Bridge Tolls. Even if HMRC was to do so, the information would be based upon previous VAT receipts and so the statutory duty of taxpayer confidentiality would prevent it from being disclosed.

Inheritance Tax

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the effect on revenue accruing to the Exchequer of restricting the additional nil-rate inheritance band (a) to residences only, (b) to direct descendants only and (c) by tapered withdrawal between £2,000,000 and £2,350,000.

Mr David Gauke: The information requested can be found in table 2.1 of the Summer Budget and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/443232/50325_Summer_Budget_15_Web_Accessible.pdf

Housing Stock

Philip Davies: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the effect of changes to (a) tax relief to landlords and (b) regulations on buy to let mortgages on the number of homes (i) built and (ii) available to rent in the next five years.

Mr David Gauke: The Government expects the restriction to tax relief for finance costs for individual residential landlords to have a minimal impact on house building in the UK. Overall, the OBR believes the impact on the housing market will be small and, taking account of the other measures in the Summer Budget, have not adjusted their forecast for house prices. The Productivity Plan published alongside the Summer Budget includes a number of measures to make the planning system quicker, cheaper and more responsive to local housing needs.   HM Treasury expects a minimal impact on the supply of property in the private rented sector in the UK. The measure is expected to impact fewer than 1 in 5 landlords and will be introduced gradually from April 2017 over 4 years to give landlords time to adjust. The Budget also announced increased Rent a Room relief, which can help to increase levels of private rented accommodation. The Government is taking significant steps to support housing supply with housing starts now at a 7 year high.   Consumer buy-to-let mortgages will become regulated in March 2016 as part of the implementation of the EU Mortgage Credit Directive. However, independently verified government analysis suggests that approximately 86% of the market will remain unregulated, and that the costs imposed by this change are not of a sufficient scale to affect the supply of rental properties in the UK.

Financial Services: Compensation

Mr David Nuttall: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts and the European Commission on retaining the level of UK bank deposit guarantees at £85,000; and what estimate he has made of the level of funds set aside for such guarantees in (a) 2015 and (b) 2016.

Harriett Baldwin: As with any new EU legislation, HM Treasury engaged in discussions with the European Commission and other EU member states during the negotiation of the Deposit Guarantee Schemes Directive, and following its adoption in order to manage the transposition effectively. HM Treasury laid a statutory instrument to ensure that UK depositors would not be exposed to a sudden reduction in the level of protection to which they are entitled from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).   FSCS compensation is funded by levies on regulated financial services firms, within a limit which is set by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Coal Fired Power Stations: Closures

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to ensure that all UK coal fire power stations will be offline by 2027.

Andrea Leadsom: We expect the role of unabated coal in the UK’s electricity mix to decline as a result of deployment of low carbon alternatives, the cost of generation and the investment needed to meet new pollution abatement standards. The Department’s analysis (central scenario) shows that unabated coal is expected to account for around 1% of total UK generation by 2025.The Government’s planning policy prevents the building of new coal power plants without carbon capture and storage.Source: DECC Updated energy and emissions projections 2014 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368021/Updated_energy_and_emissions_projections2014.pdf

Department for Energy and Climate Change: Consultants

Mr Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what policy evaluations have been carried out by external organisations for her Department and its agencies in each financial year since 2010-11; whether the output of those evaluations was published; which organisation carried out each such evaluation; and what the value of each contract to provide that evaluation was.

Andrea Leadsom: A table that sets out the externally commissioned evaluations for DECC since 2010-11 is attached below. 



Externally commissioned evaluations since 2010-11
(PDF Document, 135.43 KB)

Department for Energy and Climate Change: Carbon Emissions

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much her Department spent on carbon offsetting in each of the last three years; and to which companies payments in respect of carbon offsetting were made in each such year.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department of Energy and Climate Change spent the following amounts on carbon offsetting in each of the last three years, and with the following companies:   YearAmountCompany2012-13£8,292.80South Pole Carbon Asset Management2013-14£305.90EDF Trading Ltd.2014-15£1267.19Carbon Footprint Limited

Coal Fired Power Stations

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will commit to phase out unabated coal from the power sector by 2023; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich today to Question 8560:http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-09-04/8560/.

Department for Energy and Climate Change: UK Membership of EU

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which external organisations officials in her Department have met to discuss the consequences of the UK leaving the EU in each of the last three years; and how many meetings such officials have had with each such organisation.

Andrea Leadsom: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 September 2015 to Question 9536:http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-09-08/9536/.

Green Deal Scheme

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what support is being made available for those affected by fuel poverty to make energy saving home improvements following the end of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund.

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the need for financial support for those affected by fuel poverty following the end of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government is committed to keeping energy bills as low as possible as part of a long-term, coherent and affordable policy framework. The Green Deal Home Improvement Fund was not specifically targeted at those in fuel poverty. We have a number of other policies that do target those in, or at risk of, fuel poverty including the Energy Company Obligation, the Central Heating Fund and Warm Home Discount. .   ECO has delivered more than 860,000 energy efficiency measures in over 700,000 homes with low incomes or in low income areas between January 2013 and the end of June 2015. It will continue to support a further 260,000 of these households each year to March 2017.   CHF recently awarded 20 projects across England a share of £25 million worth of government funding to install first time central heating systems in more than 7,000 fuel poor households.   Warm Home Discount provides financial support to over 2 million low income households each winter with a £140 discount on their energy costs.

Trade Agreements: Fossil Fuels

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the Trade in Services Agreement on the domestic oil and gas industry; and when her Department plans to update that assessment.

Andrea Leadsom: World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade in Services negotiations are ongoing and my Department has not carried out such an assessment.

Environment Protection: Innovation

Mrs Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what support the Government is providing for early stage innovation in the low carbon sector.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government is expected to directly spend approximately £1.3billion on low carbon innovation (research, development and demonstration) in this spending review period (2011-15). This support is coordinated through the Low Carbon Innovation Coordination Group1 (LCICG).   Support beyond the end of this financial year is dependent on the outcome of the Spending Review.   1 http://www.lowcarboninnovation.co.uk/

Sellafield

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what her policy is on protecting high hazard areas of work at the Sellafield nuclear facility.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department for Energy and Climate Change has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Nuclear Installations: Decommissioning

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make an assessment of the effect on (a) skills, (b) the supply chain, (c) small and medium-sized enterprises and (d) local economies of potential reductions to funding of nuclear decommissioning.

Andrea Leadsom: The impact of any proposed Spending Review settlement for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on the wider economy, including skills, supply chain, SMEs and local economies, will be considered as part of the Spending Review. It will not be possible to conduct detailed analysis of impacts of any funding settlement on these matters, however, until the level of overall funding available is agreed and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and its contractors have had the opportunity to revise plans accordingly.

Plutonium

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the energy generating potential is of the UK's plutonium stockpile.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department for Energy and Climate Change has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Plutonium

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department plans to take a decision on the reuse options for managing plutonium stocks in 2015-16.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department for Energy and Climate Change has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Nuclear Installations: Decommissioning

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect of reductions in funding to the nuclear decommissioning sector on the supply chain in that sector.

Andrea Leadsom: As part of its request for future funding as part of the Spending Review announced by HM Treasury on 21 July, DECC’s departmental return contains details of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s estimates of expenditure in the next Spending Review period. The potential impact on the supply chain of any settlement will be considered as part of the Spending Review.

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Furniture

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to report on the performance of each Department against the five per cent target for the purchase of remanufactured office furniture in the Government Buying Standard.

Matthew Hancock: The five per cent target for the purchase of remanufactured office furniture in the Government Buying Standard has been replaced with stringent new requirements, which should deliver environmental benefits and savings expected to exceed £45m over ten years:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/341461/Furniture_GBS_1407.pdfUnder the new requirements, reuse and refurbishment should be deployed before any new furniture purchases. Any new purchase should be made from a core list of standard items with non-standard purchases a last resort.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Internet

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the extent of the adoption of IPv6; and what steps he is taking to promote such adoption.

Mr Edward Vaizey: As outlined in the Digital Communications Infrastructure Strategy, the government has commissioned an independent review of the use of IPv6 in the UK. We are in the final stages of this review and the outcomes will inform future policy making in this area. We intend to publish the outcome of the Review in due course.

Internet

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the security of devices connected to the Internet of Things.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Security of connected devices, the system they operate in and data is very important to consider in the Internet of Things. That is why security will be a theme throughout the government funded Internet of Things programme (IoTUK). We have included £10m for additional research to design in security, privacy and trust in IoT-related systems. In his report on the Internet of Things the Government Chief Scientist advised that security should be considered at the beginning and throughout the life cycle of Internet of Things applications. We have therefore made security a specific part of the competition scope for the large-scale demonstrator competitions.

Broadband

Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the extent of superfast broadband coverage in (a) England and (b) Northumberland; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Current superfast broadband coverage is over 83% of UK premises and the Government remains committed to providing 95% coverage to homes and businesses by December 2017. Coverage of superfast broadband in England is 84% according to Ofcom’s Communications Market Report published in August 2015. The report can be found at: http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/cmr/cmr15/CMR_UK_2015.pdfThe Government has invested £9.69 million in the Northumberland project which aims to provide superfast broadband coverage to over 46,000 homes and businesses in the county. By the end of the Northumberland project, anticipated by December 2016, over 91% of premises are expected to have access to superfast broadband. As of 30 June 2015, 40,193 premises had access to superfast broadband as a result of the project.

Broadband

Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to introduce a universal service obligation for superfast broadband coverage; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to introduce a universal service obligation for broadband coverage; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Government is considering whether to implement a broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) as one of a range of options for reaching the final 5% of the UK population who do not have access to broadband in order to ensure that no one gets left behind. No decisions have been taken at this stage. Any broadband USO would have to comply with the European Universal Service Directive. The Directive does not specify a speed other than to indicate that it should be set at a level that is available to and used by the majority.

House of Commons Commission

Parliament: Art Works

Justin Madders: To ask the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, how many items in the Parliamentary Art Collection are on loan outside the parliamentary estate.

Tom Brake: There are currently four objects from the Parliamentary Art Collection on loan outside the Parliamentary Estate.The House of Commons and the House of Lords are actively committed to giving access to the Parliamentary Art Collection to as wide an audience as possible.Loan requests are welcomed which will broaden access to the Collection and we are actively developing professional partnerships with other institutions around the UK who are organising exhibitions. In addition to this the Works of Art Committees of both Houses are working hard to raise the profile of the Parliamentary Art Collection and building to increase the number of loans outside the Parliamentary Estate.The number of loans out changes from time to time as works are usually loaned for temporary exhibition.As the Works of Art Committees have only recently reformed following the election we anticipate that the number of loans out may increase as pending loan requests are considered.

Department of Health

NHS: Drugs

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with NHS England on recent guidance stating that NICE-recommended medicines will be funded from day 90 of publication.

George Freeman: No such discussions have taken place.   Commissioners are legally required to provide funding for treatments and drugs recommended in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal guidance within three months of NICE’s final guidance.

NHS: Finance

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent progress NHS England has made on developing new policies for in-year service developments and individual funding requests; and if NHS England will commit to a public consultation on these matters.

George Freeman: NHS England is in the process of concluding a review of these two policies and is aiming to finalise the way forward, including a position on public consultation, by the end of September.

Health Services: Performance Standards

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent progress NHS England has made in developing a scorecard to consider the relative ranking of specialised services in (a) clinical and (b) cost effectiveness; and if NHS England will commit to a public consultation on ranking specialised services.

George Freeman: NHS England has committed to consult further with the public if ranking methodology is planned to be used in its decisions over the investment in specialised service developments. NHS England is considering options to support these difficult decisions.

NHS: Drugs

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS England has had discussions with NICE on the assessment of medicines in specialised commissioning.

George Freeman: In June 2015, NHS England published its response to its consultation, Investing in Specialised Services. This is available at:   www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2015/06/nhse-respns-publictn-17-06-15.pdf   In it, NHS England stated that it had agreed with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) that both organisations should jointly explore the extent to which NICE may play a role in delivering clinical evidence reviews as part of the process for assessing proposed new investments in future years. This was in response to submissions received during the consultation, calling for the process of reviewing the clinical evidence for proposed new investments in specialised services to be led by NICE.   NHS England has advised that no decisions in this regard have yet been made. Preliminary discussions across the two organisations are expected to commence this month.

Monitor

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the current investigations being carried out by Monitor will continue following its move to single leadership with the Trust Development Authority; and whether those investigations will fall to be supervised by the new single leadership.

Ben Gummer: Investigations currently being conducted by Monitor, under the powers given to it by the Health and Social Care Act 2012, will continue when Monitor joins with the Trust Development Authority to form NHS Improvement.

Breast Cancer

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hospitals offer breast reconstruction to breast cancer patients.

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which hospitals offer breast reconstruction to breast cancer patients.

Jane Ellison: The attached table provides – for each trust where there is data showing that either primary breast reconstruction, secondary breast reconstruction, or both, were carried out – the hospitals within that trust that have a multi-disciplinary team treating breast cancer. There are 191 hospitals in the list, which is an approximate number and may vary. 



Sites providing breast reconstruction/ treatment 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 16.93 KB)

Clinical Priorities Advisory Group

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2015 to Question 1281, when NHS England's Clinical Priorities Advisory Group will next hold a meeting on prioritisation.

George Freeman: The Clinical Priorities Advisory Group continues to meet every month and advises NHS England on proposals that are being considered as an ‘In Year Service Development’ for the 2015/16 financial year. There will be a meeting to consider service development proposals for the 2016/17 financial year. The date of that meeting has not yet been set.

NHS: Drugs

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Innovative Medicines and MedTech Review plans to investigate how to reduce the period between NICE approval of a medicine and its funding by NHS trusts.

George Freeman: The Review will make recommendations to Government on reforms to accelerate access for National Health Service patients to innovative medicines and medical technologies (including devices, diagnostics and digital), making our country the best place in the world to design, develop and deploy these products. This includes looking at regulation, reimbursement, assessment and uptake.

NHS: Drugs

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, under what criteria NHS England choose to fund a NICE-approved medicine before the three month period following the publication  of a positive NICE recommendation; and what steps NHS England is taking to encourage uptake of medicines after positive NICE recommendations as soon as possible.

George Freeman: NHS England has advised that its standard time frame for a treatment recommended in a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal to be commissioned will be 90 days except in exceptional circumstances. These include where: - the approved technology provides significant benefit to the patient population who will receive the technology compared to the current standard of care; - there is significant unmet need in the target population such that patients may come to significant harm if the technology is not commissioned earlier; and - the approved technology will release healthcare resources such that funding can be redirected to support other commissioning priorities.   Decisions to fund any recommended technology prior to 90 days will be made by NHS England’s Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group.

Female Genital Mutilation

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what services NHS England commissions to support women and girls who have suffered female genital mutilation.

Jane Ellison: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) services are the commissioning responsibility of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and are often provided linked to maternity services. FGM services are not commissioned by NHS England at a national level.   The commissioning of such services by CCGs is being developed, and can now be informed by the publication of national statistics by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. For the first time these show how many patients are treated who have FGM, with data published about local areas.   The Department recently published FGM guidance for commissioners setting out the elements of a successful and safe service. The aim of the document is to highlight what commissioners might want to consider when developing a new FGM service and it can be used by any healthcare commissioners, clinical commissioning groups, area teams and service development leads.   There are details of 14 FGM clinics across England published on the NHS Choices website at:   http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/sexual-health-services/Pages/fgm-health-services-for-women.aspx

Department of Health: UK Membership of EU

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many officials in his Department are engaged in research into the effects of the UK leaving the EU.

Jane Ellison: The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the European Union (EU) and campaigning to keep the United Kingdom in the EU on that basis. Departments are appropriately resourced to support the Government’s priorities in Europe.

Department of Health: UK Membership of EU

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which external organisations officials in his Department have met to discuss the consequences of the UK leaving the EU in each of the last three years; and how many meetings such officials have had with each such organisation.

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which external organisations he has met to discuss the consequences of the UK leaving the EU in each of the last three years; and how many times he has met each such organisation.

Jane Ellison: The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation: it believes it can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the European Union (EU) and campaigning to keep the United Kingdom in the EU on that basis. Officials regularly meet with a range of external organisations to discuss the Government's objectives in Europe. Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly.

Tuberous Sclerosis: Drugs

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the ease of access to Everolimus for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex sufferers.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the ease of access to treatment and services for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: No assessment has been made of the ease of access to treatment and services for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC); any such assessment would need to carefully consider the wide-range of need associated with TSC.   Everolimus is a licensed oral treatment for TSC and has been licensed by the European Medicines Agency. NHS England’s process for introducing new treatments for use in the services that it commissions involves the production of a clinical commissioning policy; this process is currently underway for Everolimus in the treatment of TSC.

Defibrillators

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many implantations of (a) subcutaneous implantable cardiac defibrillators and (b) implantable cardiac defibrillators took place within the NHS in the last year for which data is available.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the NHS is an early adopter of innovation in regards to devices to prevent sudden cardiac death syndrome.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure access for NHS patients to subcutaneous implantable cardiac defibrillators.

Jane Ellison: Data on the number of implantations of subcutaneous implantable cardiac defibrillators and implantable cardiac defibrillators which took place in 2013-14, the last year for which data is available, are set out in the attached table.   In 2013, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produced Interventional Procedures Guidance on this technology for the prevention of sudden cardiac death, recommending that it should only be used with special arrangements for clinical governance, consent and audit or research.   NICE’s interventional procedures guidance assesses the efficacy and safety of interventional procedures, with the aim of protecting patients and helping clinicians, healthcare organisations and the National Health Service to introduce procedures appropriately. This guidance is not subject to the same statutory funding direction as NICE’s technology appraisal guidance.   The Accelerated Access Review will make recommendations to the Government on reforms to accelerate access for NHS patients to innovative medicines and medical technologies (including devices, diagnostics and digital), making this country the best place in the world to design, develop and deploy these products. This includes looking at regulation, reimbursement, assessment and uptake. 



Implantations of cardiac defibrillators 2013-14
(Excel SpreadSheet, 13.59 KB)

Dementia

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria NICE has set for new dementia treatments to be recommended for provision by the NHS.

George Freeman: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence assesses significant new drugs and treatments, including those for the treatment of dementia, through its technology appraisal programme. Technology appraisals are conducted in accordance with NICE’s Guide to the methods of technology appraisal 2013 which is available at:   www.nice.org.uk/article/pmg9/chapter/Foreword

Cancer: Drugs

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the decision by NHS England announced on 4 September 2015 to remove (a) the pancreatic cancer drug Abraxane and (b) 22 other drugs and indications from the Cancer Drugs Fund list of approved drugs.

George Freeman: No such assessment has been made. We remain committed to continuing to invest in the Cancer Drugs Fund which has so far benefitted over 72,000 people with cancer in England.   We understand that NHS England continues to work with manufacturers seeking to maintain drug and indication combinations within the Fund.   NHS England has confirmed that patients who are already receiving a drug/indication which is to be removed from the Fund will continue to be treated with that drug until they and their clinicians consider it appropriate to discontinue treatment. In addition, drugs removed from the Fund will continue to be available via Individual Funding Requests if the individual patient meets clinical exceptionality criteria.

Cancer: Drugs

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms there are for appeal against NHS England's decision announced on 4 September 2015 to remove (a) Abraxane and (b) 22 other drugs and indications from the Cancer Drugs Fund list of approved drugs; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: NHS England has advised that the mechanisms for appeal are as set out in Appendix G, section 11 of the Cancer Drugs Fund Standard Operating Procedures which are published on NHS England’s website at:   www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/cdf-sop-2015-16.pdf

Cancer: Drugs

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect on cancer clinical trials of NHS England's decision announced on 4 September 2015 to remove (a) Abraxane and (b) 22 other drugs and indications from the Cancer Drugs Fund list of approved drugs; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: Neither the Department nor NHS England has made any such assessment.   Advances in medical science means that new cancer medicines are emerging all the time and NHS England needs to regularly prioritise its national Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) list so people can access these too. Decisions on which treatments are included on the list are made by the CDF expert clinical panel because it is right these decisions are clinically led.

Prostate Cancer

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the final results of the National Institute for Health Research's ProtecT trials for prostate cancer testing to be published; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: The ProtecT randomised controlled trial is evaluating the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of active monitoring, radical 3D conformal radiotherapy and radical prostatectomy in men with clinically localised prostate cancer, identified through population-based PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) testing.   There have already been over 100 published outputs from ProtecT and these are listed on the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) website:   www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/projects/hta/962099   The researchers plan to publish the primary and most secondary analyses during 2016 at major relevant conferences and in peer-reviewed journals. The primary outcome to be evaluated is definite or probable prostate cancer specific mortality at a median of 10 years following randomisation. A monograph covering these findings is expected to be published in the NIHR Journals Library in July 2017. Findings from longer term follow-up will be published at a later stage.

Muscular Dystrophy

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to promote research into muscular dystrophy conditions.

George Freeman: The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including muscular dystrophies. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.   Research on novel approaches to treating neuromuscular disease including Duchenne muscular dystrophy is being carried out by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust and the University College London Institute of Child Health.   The NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme is currently seeking to commission research on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mechanical insufflation-exsufflation devices when compared to other methods of sputum clearance commonly used in children and young people with neuromuscular disease.

Ophthalmic Services

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding his Department provides for eye clinic liaison officers.

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of eye clinic liaison officers on improving patient health and social care; and what progress he has made on increasing the provision of such officers.

Alistair Burt: The Government fully appreciates the impact that sight loss can have on a person’s life and the importance of information being available for those newly diagnosed with sight loss, including signposting patients to appropriate support and rehabilitation services.   Eye clinics and their staffing, including eye clinic liaison officers, are commissioned and funded by individual clinical commissioning groups on the basis of local assessments of need.

Multiple Births

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) extent and (b) effectiveness of sharing of best practice of implementation of guidance on multiple pregnancies between NHS hospital trusts.

Ben Gummer: Evidence based advice on the care of women with multiple pregnancies is set out in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE ) Clinical Guidelines ‘Multiple Pregnancies – The management of twin and triplet pregnancies in the antenatal period’. In line with these guidelines, we would expect clinical care for women with twin and triplet pregnancies to be provided by a nominated multidisciplinary team consisting of a core team, including named specialist obstetricians, who have experience and knowledge of managing twin and triplet pregnancies. The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the effectiveness of the implementation of the NICE guidelines.   Local maternity care providers are responsible for determining how best to deliver services for women with multiple pregnancies in their area. In doing so we would expect them to give due regard to NICE guidelines.   NHS England has asked Baroness Julia Cumberlege to lead a major review of maternity services to modernise care for women and babies across the country, as first set out in NHS England’s Five Year Forward View. The independent review group is assessing current maternity care provision, considering the evidence on different models of care and will make recommendations on how services should be developed to meet the changing needs of women and babies. The group met for the first time on 23 April and it plans to report by the end of the year. More information is available at:   http://www.england.nhs.uk/2015/05/29/julia-cumberlege-2/

Suicide: Males

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of family separation on male suicide rates.

Alistair Burt: No such assessment has been made, however we know that there are links between mental ill health and social factors like isolation and family breakdown and that men in certain age-groups are more likely to present with suicidal behaviour. Suicide continues to be more than three times as common in males than in females, 13.8 per 100,000 for males in 2011-13, compared to 4.0 for females.   Preventing suicide in England: A cross-government outcomes strategy to save lives, published in 2012, identified a number of high risk groups who are priorities for prevention young and middle-aged men. The strategy recognises that factors associated with suicide in men include family and relationship problems including marital breakup and social isolation. The strategy recognises that those who work with men in different settings, especially primary care, need to be particularly alert to the signs of suicidal behaviour.   A review by the Samaritans, Men Suicide and Society, published in 2012, also highlighted that middle-aged men in certain socioeconomic groups are at particularly high risk of suicide. It pointed to evidence that suicidal behaviour results from the interaction of complex factors, including a lack of close social and family relationships, personal crises such as divorce, as well as a general ‘dip’ in subjective wellbeing among people in their mid-years, compared to both younger and older people. The report also found that relationship breakdown is more likely to lead men, rather than women, to suicide and was published in February 2015.   The Government’s first annual report on the suicide prevention strategy was published on 17 January 2014. It highlighted a new agreement designed to promote greater sharing of information with friends and family of people at risk of suicide. The second annual report into suicide prevention was written for people working in local services.   In January 2015, this Government called for every part of the National Health Service to commit to a 'zero suicide' ambition to dramatically reduce suicides. This goes beyond health service boundaries into the whole community, bringing in the police, education, housing, debt support services and so on.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps NHS England takes to assess the health and social care needs of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa; and what assessment he has made of the ability of the NHS to deliver efficient diagnosis and access to specialist care for such patients.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made by NHS England on the production of a commissioning policy for treatments associated with hidradenitis suppurativa; what the proposed scope of that policy is; and when he expects that policy to have been fully developed.

Jane Ellison: NHS England works in partnership with local commissioners and providers to ensure people with long-term conditions, such as hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), are supported to live healthily and independently and are empowered to take better control over the care they receive.   The majority of patients with HS can be managed through routine access to primary and secondary care, including dermatology clinics, which is responsibility of the local National Health Service commissioners. Treatment and management of the condition involves antibiotics, antiseptic washes and immunosuppressive treatments such as steroids or ciclosporin, which a general practitioner may prescribe.   For those patients with the more serious forms of HS, referral to a specialised dermatology service may be appropriate. NHS England commissions services for people with rare and complex skin conditions, including HS, and has set out what providers must have in place in order to offer specialist dermatology care. This supports equity of access to a high quality service for patients wherever they live. These services may provide more intensive therapies with the involvement of a range of health and care professionals, subject to a patient’s needs. More information can be found by viewing the specialised dermatology service specification at the following link:   www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/a12-spec-dermatology.pdf